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The 9th Doctor

The final episode of the series was shown over the last weekend and IMO, its not as good as the penultimate episode. I’d been questioning whether the change from four part (30 minute) episodes to what seemed like single or double 45 minute episodes worked and had just come to the conclusion that they did, so imagine my surprise when they brought all the threads crashing together in the penultimate episode. There seemed so little to do to finish the stories, only 1/2 million Daleks to destroy and billions of humans to save. All in a day’s work for the Doctor.

So what’d they do! While Rose’s rescue was classic, or new classic at least, its so good to see the Doctor’s technology work, and to see the him act hard, where did Jack’s Dalek blaster go later in the show (couldn’t he find a mains plug) . I also liked seeing Ann-Droid blow the Daleks up, but had they forgotten that there were dozens of games. Where were the others?

Also it’s a bit crap for a Time Lord to run out of time! Why couldn’t he do the “Bill & Ted” trick? Why did he send the one machine with the power to kill the Dalek’s away? Why did it take Rose to utilise the time vortex/’heart of the tardis’? The Bad Wolf stuff was a bit heavy handed, perhaps not a red herring, but Rose as the Angel of Light is tired as far as I’m concerned, and have they really left Jack behind?

Call me picky if you must, and despite what I consider a weak last episode, the resurrection of the franchise has been well done. Even Michael Grade has apologised to the new team for his reticence and hostility. The portrayal of the Doctor, Rose & the other ancillary characters has been fine and much of the writing better than ever. While I’ve never wondered what people left behind, while their friends or familiy bugger off to travel with the Doctor think, I’m sure others have and now their story has been told, together with an updated version of the interfering time lord.

David Tennant has a hard act to follow. I can’t wait for the next series (or is it a Xmas special?)

The “Bill & Ted” trick involves after the event, travelling back in time to leave themselves useful items to find such as keys, cages & bins, or substituting your enemies blaster with a toy. Yes, its a time paradox! The story is told fully in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey.